ECO KIDS EXPLORE features the 5 different types of "Green Power" which are becoming increasingly popular: Solar Power, Wind Power, Geothermal energy, Ethanol and Hybrid Cars. This series investigates these energy sources in an understandable way, which will help young viewers learn how to help solve the problems facing our earth today. As our world grows, so does the demand for energy. As pollution increases and our fossil fuels deplete there is a need for more reliable affordable and eco-friendly source of energy - Green Power.

With today's high fuel costs, it is time to start looking beyond petroleum and into renewable resources to power our vehicles. Ethanol is a clean-burning fuel derived from plants, primarily corn. The corn is ground, cooked, fermented, distilled and dehydrated, then ready for use. Ethanol is combined with gasoline to produce a cleaner fuel that doesn't emit as many greenhouse gases as pure gasoline. Pure ethanol has not yet been approved to fuel our vehicles, but it is the fuel of choice for racecars. Indy cars operate on 100% ethanol fuel. By mixing gasoline with ethanol, we can extend our fuel supply. Join us as the Eco Kids explore the production of ethanol and highlight the importance it holds in the Green Power movement.

Simply put, geothermal energy derived from heat produced by the core of the earth. Geothermal energy is one of the oldest renewable resources used by humans. It has been used since the Ancient Roman times as a heat source. Recently, we have begun to harness that energy as a source of power. Geothermal power plants take the heat from the earth and bring it to the surface to create steam that spins a turbine. We have a constant supply of heat from the earth. The challenge is finding where it is strongest and bringing it to the surface. The Eco Kids will guide us through this process and explain a few different ways that geothermal power plants operate. Find out how experts are working to fine tune the process and make geothermal power plants more affordable and useful across the country.

The first hybrid car was introduced in 1905. It had two distinct power sources working together to make it run; gas and electric power. However, using only gasoline back then was cheap and easy to power, and the hybrid car was forgotten; until recently. Since the fuel widely used now is a non-renewable resource and becoming increasingly less affordable, the hybrid car is making a comeback. Hybrid cars are operated by a computer system called the Digital Drive Line. When you step on the gas pedal, you are telling the system how fast you need to go and the car decides whether to use gas, electric power or both. The benefit of the hybrid is that instead of running on gas for an entire trip, it uses non-polluting electric power when possible. The hybrid car is ideal for city driving and traffic. By using less gas, hybrid cars help cut pollution and helps save drivers money at the gas pump.

Solar power is defined as the energy we produce by converting sunlight into heat or electricity. It is one of the most abundant and affordable sources of energy available. However, it is difficult to harness and impractical in some parts of the world. So, it is important to explore in-depth, the process of converting sunlight to power. The three primary ways to produce solar power on a large scale are solar power generating plants, photovoltaic cells and solar thermal heaters. The Eco Kids will take us through each process of energy conversion to help us better understand this clean energy technology.

Wind is a natural resource that is readily available and virtually everywhere. Wind power is defined as the process of turning the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy. Humans have been harnessing the power of the wind for around 2,000 years. The Dutch made the windmill famous. Find out how the large wind turbines are built using a simplistic design and modern technology. They operate completely autonomously by rotating with the force of the wind. The blades turn on a rotor that is connected by a shaft to a generator that creates electricity. With the Eco Kids, we'll explore how the use of wind power is growing and becoming widely used throughout the world. It is an efficient way to use a clean renewable resource.

The Earth Needs YOUR Help, the first part of the Eco Kids series, discusses some of the things that are hurting the planet. Students will learn common terminology used when talking about the environment, such as climate, ozone, fossil fuels, and carbon dioxide. We'll explore the issues of air pollution, the greenhouse effect, renewable resources and water usage while studying the factors contributing to all of them. The program is the first episode in understanding how to change our ways in order to become more eco-friendly.

Part 3 profiles the after effects of the second gulf war. Iraq, which once played a major role in the Middle East oil trade, is struggling to gain stability. Exemplifying this is the city of Kirkuk, one of the two largest oil regions in the country, where oil brought destruction and discrimination against the Kurds. In Iran, controversy surrounds the Sunni and Shiite's and the struggle for everyday life. This episode also shows the disparity between north and south Tehran and the south's disappointment with failed promises by president Ahmadinijhad. In stark contrast lies Kuwait and Saudi Arabia where modernization is far beyond that of Iran and Iraq.

From ancient civilizations to current day metropolitan cities, all societies have been shaped by the struggle to control water. The future of humankind will be shaped by the element of water and this struggle for control will establish the balance between peace and war, profoundly influencing relations between countries and continents. Climate change will also greatly affect water resources in the future. In the next decades huge water projects will radically change the face of the Earth. The future of water is a highly important global issue, which threatens the security of the entire planet.

Potential conflicts are brewing between the nations that share the Nile River Basin. The days of the Nile only nourishing Egypt's great demand for water might be rapidly coming to an end. Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda are geographically located in the larger Nile basin and control the sources of the river. In recent years they have been demanding a greater share of the Nile's precious resource as demand comes closer to overtaking this finite supply. All 13 countries with access will have to come to agreements on how to share the Nile. Will this be the cause of the next war?